Boy's-Friends and Girl's-Friends
by The Wumbologist
Summary: A typical day at Fairy Tail suddenly turns sour for the young Sky Dragon Slayer. The events of the day, however, would quickly teach Wendy that sometimes a blissful dream can come in the guise of a horrible nightmare; though things might have gone more smoothly without Happy around to commentate. A NatsuxWendy story. Rated T for stripperiffic Gray and Erza's fetishes.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: **Hello everyone. This happens to be my first attempt at a story (ever) and, believe it or not, my first entry for this fandom. I decided to go with a pairing that I hardly see; Although I'm a Natsu/Erza fan this pairing one is also one of my favorites and is criminally underrepresented IMO. I felt like I had to add something to the fandom to represent these two. That being said, I hope you enjoy it!

Une dédicace à mon amie Kumiko-no-baka. Cette histoire est un peu tard mais j'espère vous l'aimerez!

Also a small shout out to FaiRy-TaiL-MaGe202 who gave me some encouraging words that set me on the path to actually writing this. If you're reading this you may remember me as FlamingLexus :P. New name for a new story.

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**Boy's-Friends and Girl's-Friends  
**  
A Fairy Tail story  
**  
**By The Wumbologist**  
**

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**CRASH**

"Say that again, Flamebutt!"

**BANG**

"You got snow in your ears, you damned exhibitionist?"

**SHOVE**

"Oi, Salamander..." A menacing stare. "You better apologize for bumping into me you bastard. You almost made me knock over Lily."

"Huh?" A low growl. "And who's gonna make me, metal freak?"

"REAL MEN SPEAK THROUGH THEIR FISTS!"

And with that declaration, the melee began. Furniture was overturned. Cups lay strewn about, their contents long forgotten in the heat of the moment. Icicles, fireballs and every kind of magical spell in between were flung heedless of target. It was brutal. It was chaotic. It was... A normal day at Fairy Tail.

"They're so lively today, aren't they Lucy?" Ducking under a stray fireball, Mirajane continued her duties polishing the glassware at the bar, her ever-present smile directed at the Celestial Spirit mage currently rubbing her temples across the counter.

"They're like this every day, Mira." came the tired reply, "I don't know how anyone can have this much energy at nine in the morning..."

Mirajane laughed as she set away the last of the beer mugs. "Oh, I think it's nice that everyone is in such high spirits. Wendy looks like she's having fun too, isn't that right?"

The aforementioned Dragon Slayer nodded happily as she sipped on her juice. Beside her Carla mimicked Lucy in rubbing her temples. It was all well and good that everyone was feeling energetic but did they _have_ to start a brawl first thing in the morning?

"Oi! Look out by the bar!" The warning caused the foursome to look behind them at the chaos, just in time to see a table soar through the air... And on a collision course with Lucy. Now Lucy being the calm, sensible person she was did the only thing she could think of. She screamed. Hard.

"EEEEEEEEEK! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" The airborne table was fast approaching and she held her arms in front of her face, bracing for impact. It would be a matter of seconds before she was flattened by the rogue furniture.

**KABOOM**

"Are you injured, Princess?" At the sound of the smooth voice, Lucy looked up from behind her forearms to see Loke, his hands shining brilliantly and the remains of the table scattered around the ground in front of him.

"Loke... T-Thanks." came the shaky reply.

Straightening his tie, he clasped her right hand with both of his. "At your service, Princess. As I've said before: I'll always be there when you need me." Then came the wink and smile. _A perfect entry_, he thought proudly,_ I've got her for sure this time!_

Unfortunately for him, he was snapped out of his thoughts when a potted plant had come sailing through the air, making direct contact with the back of his head. From her seated position, Lucy could see the vein throbbing on the Celestial Spirit's forehead.

Letting go of her hand, Loke spun around quickly to search for whoever had thrown that plant. Fortunately, he didn't have to look far as he saw Gray, in naught but his boxers, openly pointing and laughing.

"Oi, Gray! Watch where you're aiming! What if you had hit the Princess?!" He yelled.

"What was that, little kitty? I couldn't hear you from all the way over in the ladies' section." came the mocking reply.

_Oh, that was it._ Turning once more to face Lucy, the Lion spirit gave a suave bow. "If you'll excuse me, I've got a pervert to beat up." And with that, he rushed off into the battlefield, making a beeline straight for the Ice Mage.

Lucy could only sigh as Mirajane let out another cheery laugh. "It seems you can take the mage out of the guild, but you can't take the guild out of the mage." As they watched Loke get caught up in the brawl, a thought struck Mirajane. A mischievous smile adorned her face as her eyes shifted towards Lucy. Yes, it was time for the barmaid to practice her favorite hobby: prying into the love lives of her fellow guild mates.

"Say, Lucy. I'm a bit jealous of you, you know..."

"Huh, what makes you say that, Mira?"

"Well you have such a charming and handsome man watching over you," She smiled innocently at the blonde before continuing, "It's obvious that he likes you a lot Lucy. He must have asked you out... Won't you ever consider becoming a couple?"

Lucy simply rolled her eyes at the barmaid. "Mira, every time he appears you find some way to ask me that and the answer is always the same. Loke is a powerful spirit and a great friend but that's it." After having this conversation for the umpteenth time, Lucy lost any interest in trying to dissuade the S-Class mage. Instead, she stuck to the same old answers over and over.

"Hmmm... Then there must be someone else, isn't there?" Mirajane scanned the riot, looking for anyone that would be a good fit for Lucy. It was a matter of seconds before she found her target. " I know who it is... It's Gray isn't it!"

Lucy let out a groan as her head hit the counter. 9:10 in the morning and she could feel a headache coming on. "Not at all Mira," came a strained reply, "and besides, I'm sure the only things occupying his mind are fighting and... Actually, just fighting."

Mirajane observed as Lucy sighed, turning her head to watch the ongoing fight in the main hall. With great interest she noted that the young mage was looking directly at the almost-nude Ice Mage, who was currently struggling to break free from a headlock by Elfman. Lucy may not have realized it but Mirajane certainly did... It was only a matter of time.

That train of thought had reached its end, however, and Mirajane turned her attention to her next target: the petite Wind Dragon Slayer who sat a small ways down the counter.

"So, what about you Wendy?" She called from across the counter.

"Hmm? What about me?" came the quiet reply.

"Well you're at that age where you're starting to become interested in boys. Lucy may like to keep her affections a secret but you don't have to be that way Wendy..." Her smile widened as she saw the blush creep up on the blue haired girl's face.

"Um... I don't..."

"Oh Wendy, there's no need to be shy. I can see it written all over your face! So, who's the lucky guy?" Her interruption ended on a louder volume as the sounds from the riot in the main hall increased. The addition of Loke to the brawl had gotten its participants even more fired up, their attacks renewed with even more energy. Mirajane was not deterred, however. She was so _close_; all the Dragon Slayer needed was a little coaxing...

She drew closer to the young girl as she spoke, leaning over the counter and giving her a reassuring smile. "You can tell me, Wendy. I promise this will be between just the three of us, right Carla?"

The white Exceed merely shrugged, meeting her best friend's timid gaze with an indifferent stare. Being Wendy's closest companion, she knew who Wendy's crush was. It was up to Wendy whether or not she wanted to tell anyone or not. The problem was the girl was just so _shy_; if Mirajane could coax it out of her it might even be beneficial... If she told Mirajane then maybe the older woman could give her some confidence. Then Wendy would stop keeping her up at night talking about _him_, or instinctively grabbing her and crushing the small cat against her chest whenever _he _walked in...

... Or more likely none of the above would happen and things would continue on as they always did. Carla didn't mind playing emotional advisor to the young Dragon Slayer. Really, she didn't. But dammit, a cat can dream!

Taking the shrug as a positive sign from Carla, Wendy began to speak. "Well... The truth is there is someone I like..."

Mirajane's eyes brightened despite the fact that she could barely hear Wendy speaking. From the sounds of it a hole had just been blasted through the far wall. Out of the corner of her eye she could see some of the bewildered pedestrians hurriedly passing by. Taking no heed, her volume rose another notch as she coaxed the young mage. "And? And? Who is it?"

"I-It's -" The quiet voice was cut off by a series of loud creaks and crashes. From the sounds of it, a load-bearing column had been accidentally broken.

"Hmm? I didn't quite hear you, Wendy."

"I said that it's nrhsmphs" Her reply was muffled by a series of screams and the sounds of some serious demolition. It seemed a section of the roof had come tumbling down, a small number of the guild being caught in the debris.

"ONE MORE TIME PLEASE, WENDY!" Mirajane was yelling now, as a deafening crash resounded through the now-ruined guild hall.

Wendy, on her end, had begun sucking in a large amount of air. With the noise caused by the partial destruction of the guild hall she would need to yell to get her message across to Mirajane.

What happened next turned out to be every young girl's worst nightmare.

**KABOOM**

"**NATSU! GRAY! STOP THIS FIGHTING AT ONCE!"** The Queen of the Fairies had arrived on the scene and wasted no time in subduing the two most troublesome members of the brawl. At her commanding voice the chaos of the last thirteen minutes had vanished into an uncomfortable silence; each guild member looked on in horror as the Titania stood, a barely-conscious Natsu held up by his scarf in her left hand and a terrified Gray held at sword point with her right.

It was at this moment of silence that Wendy let the air collected in her lungs rush out, the sound of her voice resounding through the guild hall:

"**I SAID I LIKE NATSUUU-SAAAAaaaann**nnnnn... Huh?"

All eyes in the guild shifted to Wendy as she looked back, bewildered. Beside her, Mirajane and Lucy both gasped, the former feeling incredibly guilty and the latter just as surprised as the rest of the guild. Carla in turn watched her best friend, a look of pure pity on her face. Of course she had wanted the girl to have some more confidence but yelling her deepest secret at the top of her lungs was _not_ what she had in mind.

"What about me...?" a strained voice broke the silence. Fairy Tail's collective attention turned from Wendy to the source of the sound: Natsu, who lay in a heap on the floor at Erza's feet. He sat up slowly, confused at the sudden awkward silence that enveloped the guild hall.

"Hey, what just happened?" he broke the silence again, looking directly towards the bar. "Why's everyone so quiet?"

"... Did you guys smell that too? 'Cause I swear I didn't—"

His small tangent was interrupted by a loud wail. Before anyone could react, a crying Wendy bolted from her seat at the bar, her legs carrying her out the door with hands shielding her crying face from the rest of the guild. Carla was hot on her trail, wings out and following the Sky Dragon Slayer at full speed.

"Wendy?" A mixture of confusion and worry showed through as he watched the young girl run away. _What the hell was that about...?_

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**More Notes:** I revised this story as of 11/21/2012; I split it into two chapters and did a bit of editing. I think it's better this way... ~6600 words is too much for a oneshot I think. If you've read this story already then nothing has really changed, but you should read it again because it's so good :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: **So again, this is the second part of the story, nothing new to report. A special thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys are awesome!

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**Boy's-Friends and Girl's-Friends  
**  
Chapter 2

By The Wumbologist

* * *

Well, _this_ was awkward. Carla watched as Wendy continued to sob, her face buried in her pillow. She had the urge to slap the young girl, to tell her that it wasn't nearly as big a deal as she was making it out to be. One look at her crying face however was all it took to put a stop to that idea; Carla was a blunt, no-nonsense kind of cat but she certainly couldn't find it in her heart to kick the young girl while she was down.

Time for Plan B: "Wendy, it's not like that was the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened at Fairy Tail." She paused for a moment, waiting for Wendy to quiet down before continuing. "There was that time Erza fell asleep reading one of her dirty books at the guild hall."

Nobody could ever forget _that _particular day; their laughter upon discovering the scarlet-haired beauty face down in a copy of _Master of the Guild Desire _soon turned to terror after her initial period of embarrassment. Safe to say, no one ever spoke of it openly again.

Wendy had stopped crying and was listening so she was on the right track, Carla figured. "Just last week we had to bail Gray out of jail for indecent exposure at an elementary school."

_It was all a big misunderstanding_, he claimed. He went there on a job for the principal but ended up stripping down to his birthday suit in the middle of the playground because the place was just so damned _hot_. After some intense negotiations with the local authorities they had agreed to let him go, on the condition that he maintained a 20-foot distance from any educational institution in the state that taught minors.

"Don't forget yesterday when Elfman cried after he was stung by a bee..."

_THESE AREN'T TEARS! MEN DON'T CRY OVER BEE STINGS! It's just my allergies acting up..._ At least everyone had the decency to wait until he had left the guild before breaking out into raucous laughter.

"My point is, Wendy, that everyone has their embarrassing moments. Fairy Tail is full of those kinds of people. Besides, they may be a bunch of uncouth hooligans but they would never laugh at you for what happened today."

Wendy lifted her face from the pillow, her red eyes meeting Carla's own as she sat up on her bed. "I know Carla... It isn't about them." She took a deep breath before continuing. "It's because Natsu-san heard. He knows how I feel now and I'm sure he'll reject me."

Every time she thought about it things ended the same. She would ask to speak to him privately. He would follow her out to a secluded place, a romantic hilltop where the night sky stretched endlessly and the town of Magnolia illuminated by countless lights of a rainbow of colors. She would confess. He would stare. And then came the words she dreaded... _You're too young. Too weak. I could never be with someone like you..._

She was snapped out of her reverie by an obviously frustrated Carla. "Listen you, you've got to have some confidence in yourself!" She paused as a series of knocks echoed throughout the room. Someone was at the door but now was _not_ the time for visitors. "I keep telling you that you're much greater than you give yourself credit for, don't I? I don't say it just to be nice, you know! You're cute and smart and every bit as powerful and useful as the other members of the guild, those two brutish Dragon Slayers included!"

She paused to take a breath as another series of knocks met her eardrums. When she was done here she would have some _words_ for whoever was insensitive enough to come knocking right now.

"Seriously, Wendy, why wouldn't Natsu like you?" This elicited a blush from the young girl. "And even if he doesn't then what does it matter? If he's too big of an idiot to see how great you are then it's his loss! You're strong Wendy, you'll get over it!" Crossing her arms, she finished up her rant. "Jeez, you're acting like this is the end of the world, Wendy. You know that no matter what happens, Natsu won't abandon you. And neither will I."

The Dragon Slayer gave Carla an appreciative look as she wiped her face. "I'm sorry, Carla. It's just... I- When I see some of the others in the guild like Lucy-san or Erza-san... I don't know how I can compare. They're so strong and mature."

"You don't have to compare yourself with them Wendy." Carla had to fight to keep the irritation out of her voice. Why couldn't Wendy see how amazing she was? "You're just as good as those two and everyone else in the guild as well. That Guild mark on your shoulder is proof. I swear, if Natsu was here right now he would say the same thing."

"Huh? What about me?"

Both Carla and Wendy nearly had heart attacks at the sound of the new, distinctly male, voice. Turning her head to the doorway they saw none other than Natsu himself; the object of Wendy's affections leaning lazily against the door frame, face full of curiosity.

"You! How did you get in here?! Didn't you think to knock first?!" Carla demanded.

"I did knock." Oh. "Nobody answered so we decided to let ourselves in, right Happy?"

"Aye!" came the enthusiastic response. Fantastic, now Happy was here to provide commentary. As if things couldn't get any worse.

"You... That's breaking and entering! Don't you see anything wrong with trespassing in the home of a young girl?!"

From the blank stare she received, apparently not. The look on his face told her that she might as well have asked him what color the sky was.

"We didn't break anything, Carla. One of the windows was unlocked so we came in through there." Happy helpfully provided. Well at least she knew now to make sure the windows were locked at all times.

Sighing, Carla asked her next question. "So why exactly did you two come here?"

"I was worried about Wendy." He said, taking a seat on the floor.

"Huh? M-me?" Wendy finally chose to speak, her quiet voice muffled slightly by the pillow she was hiding behind.

"Aye! You ran out on us without saying a word, everybody was worried for you. Me and Natsu came after you as soon as his head cleared up from Erza knocking him senseless."

"She didn't knock me senseless!" Natsu pouted. "She just... Caught me off guard. I told you on the way here I wasn't ready to go face-to-face with her!"

After shooting Happy a scowl he turned to Wendy who was still trying to use the pillow as a cover. "You run fast you know. If it wasn't for my nose I don't think I would've found you."

His face took on a serious expression as he spoke again. "What upset you Wendy? Was it that bastard Gray? Did he wave his junk in your face again? You'd think he'd have learned after getting sent to jail but I guess he'll always be a pervert." Wendy could see the glint in his eyes, the little sparkle that betrayed his passion. Natsu was indeed getting fired up. "Just say the word Wendy and I'll run back to the guild and kick him in the nuts for making you cry like that!"

Wendy, on her part, was feeling a strange mixture of emotions. Happiness that Natsu was worried enough to seek her out, embarrassment at his sudden appearance in her home, anticipation and fear at what would happen next, and pity for poor Gray. Slightly worried for the Ice Mage, she spoke. "Natsu-san, it isn't anything to do with Gray-san..."

"You don't have to defend him, y'know. This gives me a good reason to go kick his ass!"

"Really Natsu-san, it wasn't because of him." She held up her hands in order to placate the riled up teen.

"If you say so..." came the disappointed reply.

"So... You came here because Wendy was upset but you don't know why?" Another question from Carla. _This is perfect_, she thought, _if those two don't know what happened then maybe Wendy can save some face and keep it from Natsu!_

"Oh! I know why!" The blue Exceed suddenly interjected. "She was embarrassed because she told the whole guild that she llllliiiiiiiiiiiiiikes you, Natsu!"

And in one fell swoop Carla's plan had failed before she could even set it in motion by one excited blue ball of fur. She always had a feeling she would one day strangle that damned cat; she just didn't know that day would be today. Fortunately for the blissfully unaware Happy, her frustration was temporarily set aside as Natsu again turned to face the small blue cat.

"Happy, buddy, didn't I tell you not to make up stories like that?"

"But it's true!" the cat protested. "The whole guild heard it! Right, Wendy?"

Wendy froze at the mention of her name. Happy was looking at her with pleading eyes, silently begging her to back him up so he wouldn't be branded a liar. Natsu and Carla had their eyes on her as well, the former with a curious gaze and the latter a pointed look with a meaningful message: _what will you do now?_

At the sight of Carla reminders of their prior conversation flashed through her head.

_You've got to have some confidence! _

_You're cute, smart and every bit as powerful!_

_So what if he doesn't like you?_

Her mind was made up. She would tell him right now, no more hiding! With a deep breath she gathered up as much courage as she could before speaking softly.

"It's true..." she said quietly. "It's true." This time with more 'oomph'. Lifting her eyes to meet Natsu's she continued. "I embarrassed myself this morning when I... announced that I liked you in front of everybody. I couldn't bear to face you after that so I ran..."

"See? See? I told you Natsu!" Happy raised his paw triumphantly, a grin on his face from successfully defending himself from accusations of lying. His joy was short-lived, however, as his face suddenly fell into shock as he realized he had just put Wendy on the spot.

_H-How could I do something like that to poor Wendy?_ He bowed his head apologetically. What kind of friend was he? He had fed Wendy to the proverbial fishes just to save face! _Feeding... Fishes... I'm getting hungry... No! Now's not the time! Lunch can wait!_

Catching the look on his face, Wendy simply shook her head and smiled at the distraught cat. "Its okay, Happy. I needed that push."

"Wendy..." The girl was too kind, accepting his apology before he even said anything; it was enough to make Happy tear up.

"Natsu-san," she turned her eyes back over to the other Dragon Slayer who had patiently been listening. "I'm sorry you found out this way but..." Well, nothing to lose now. "I like you. I really do". She ended her sentence quietly, watching the older boy expectantly.

"Hmmm. Are you sure?" Her jaw dropped in surprise. Of all the things she expected to hear from Natsu, _that_ was definitely not one of them. One look at his face though told her that he was being completely serious.

"W-What do you mean, Natsu-san?"

"Well, I mean... I'm loud, I fight and break things all the time, I'm not that smart and I don't like taking showers..." he crossed his arms before continuing. "I'm just trying to figure out why a great girl like you would like a guy like me."

Wendy couldn't believe it; she had to fight back the urge to laugh out of pure relief. Not only did Natsu not reject her, he was listing off his bad points! Did he think he wasn't good enough? Was he trying to dissuade her? _No_, she thought, _if he didn't like me he would have just said so... _She spared a glance at Carla whose face expressed confusion at what had just been said. _Come on, Wendy, now's your chance!_

She slowly moved off the bed, shaking her head and smiling shyly as she sat down on the floor across from the teen. "I think you're the great one, Natsu-san. You're so strong and kind and passionate... You're always there to protect and encourage us. I... When I'm with you I feel like I can do anything. I've never felt anything like when I'm with you. Just being by your side would make me happy..." she trailed off, face beet red and eyes scanning the room, looking at everything and anything that wasn't the object of her affections currently sitting across from her.

Strangely enough despite her current embarrassed state she felt free, like a weight had been lifted off of her chest. Telling him her feelings had given her a sense of peace; Carla was certainly right, Natsu-san would never abandon her. In fact, if he were to reject her right now she would be fine. Disappointed, sure, but she would get over it.

When she finally mustered the courage to look at Natsu her mouth nearly opened in surprise again. He was _blushing_! In a stark contrast to his usual goofy grin, a timid smile graced his features as he scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I guess I am pretty awesome..." His smile stayed on his face when he paused, bringing his right hand to rest on her shoulder before continuing. "I had no idea you felt this way, Wendy. You shoulda told me sooner!"

At his touch Wendy felt her heart beat faster. The distance between them had been closing incrementally since he arrived and now he was touching her. _Intimately_! At this proximity she could wrap her arms around his neck, he could pull her into his lap and then...

A gentle voice broke her out of her fantasy world. "I really like you too, Wendy."

"Y-You do?" As if the sincere smile on his face wasn't answer enough, but she wanted to make absolutely sure.

"Uh-huh, of course I do. Who wouldn't? I really admire you Wendy; you're definitely the bravest girl I know... Not to mention you're so nice and your magic is awesome! That Troia is seriously a life saver!"

And suddenly Wendy felt stupid for ever doubting herself. Of course she had heard the same things from Carla, but this was coming from Natsu. Natsu! The Salamander himself! The same guy who never backed down from a challenge and gave whatever he did 110% of his energy!

" Y'know, I'm glad there's someone out there who feels so strongly about me... And she's so cute too!" He grinned when he saw her smile abashedly at his compliment, but that soon faded as he gave her a thoughtful look. "I would've been happy just being able to live with everyone at the guild... I never thought I'd find a girl who would have feelings for me. Actually, I didn't really give it much thought at all."

Taking a small pause, he turned to look at his faithful blue companion. "I'm a lucky guy, aren't I buddy?"

"Aye sir!" was the enthusiastic response. From her seat on the floor she could practically feel the warm smile emanating from the blue cat. Turning her head to face the two Exceed, she happily noted that Carla was trying, and failing, to hide her grin as Happy nudged her with his elbow.

"Soooo are you guys in a relationship now?" An intrusive question by the blue cat, but not one that Wendy minded.

Natsu decided to take the lead. "I'm not too good with this relationship stuff but I'm willing to try it if you are. So, what do you say Wendy? Wanna start a relationship with me?"

He didn't even need to ask. "I'd like that very much, Natsu-san."

"Awesome!" The grin that she secretly adored turned into a full smile that revealed all of his teeth. "So from now on we're husband and wife!"

"Ehh?"

Silence.

This was far beyond any of Wendy's wildest dreams. To think that Natsu would propose straight away! She began to panic. What would their friends at the guild say? Would they have a big wedding? Maybe they could borrow the guild hall. Oh, but then they would need a priest, and of course some wedding wear. How would Natsu look in a suit? Would he even agree to wear one? And what about...

Her fantasy was interrupted yet again, this time by the small blue cat who timidly tugged on Natsu's leg.

"You're moving too fast Natsu." He advised. "That's like trying to eat a fish while it's still in the water! There's an order to these kinds of things... It's like how you have to put the bait on the rod, cast it into the water and pull the tasty fish out before you can eat it." Happy nodded sagely, satisfied with his explanation.

After a brief moment of contemplation Natsu turned to the younger Dragon Slayer again. "Ah, I see how it is. Sorry if I startled you, Wendy. So you're saying to not skip ahead right?" At Happy's nod he continued. "I've got it then! Wendy, you and me are lovers!"

"JUST WAIT A MINUTE, YOU!" Carla practically screamed in his ear. As soon as the words left his mouth Wendy had brought her hands up to her face trying to cover her cheeks. She was certainly not ready to handle _that_ particular subject. Fortunately for her, Carla was there and ready to tell him off.

"That's highly inappropriate, you dummy! I should call the authorities on you just for suggesting something like that! As if one pervert in the guild wasn't enough... Didn't you learn from Gray that exposing children to these kinds of things is horribly wrong? Honestly, where did you even get that idea from?"

"Hey, hey! What's the big deal about being lovers?" Natsu pouted, feeling put off at the violent rejection. "It's in Erza's books. I read one of the chapters of that book..." he faltered as he tried to remember the title. "_Never Trust a Dark Guild Member_! That was it!"

He stopped a moment to give a triumphant grin. Natsu regularly forgot anything that didn't have to do with the guild or fighting; the fact that he was able to remember a _book_ of all things was quite frankly impressive.

"Anyway, the two people in it really liked each other. When I asked Erza about it she said that they were lovers who were secretly in a relationship and they didn't want their guilds to know about it. She also said that if I told anybody about that book she would skin me alive." He shuddered at the memory. "I don't see what the big deal is about those books anyways. They're so boooring... There's no action, no adventure, no anything! Just some dumb lady talking about how handsome that guy is..."

Carla sighed. At least he had innocent intentions... She hoped. She made a mental note to never leave the two Dragon Slayers alone for the next few years, just in case. Putting on her strictest face, she spoke. "Regardless, you two can't be lovers. Find something else."

"... Partners in crime?"

"Just what do you think this is?!" came Carla's exasperated reply. At this rate she was going to have a major headache. Silently she wondered how Lucy managed to put up with him every day and whether it was _really_ a good idea for Wendy to be with this guy.

"Well I don't know then! I told you guys I wasn't good at this relationship stuff!" He stood up, clearly frustrated that his ideas were being shot down.

"Natsu... Sometimes I think you're dumber than the tuna I eat for breakfast."

The sound of sweet laughter filled the room as three sets of eyes turned to the source. Wendy was clearly over her embarrassment, laughing whole-heartedly at Natsu's antics. With a small sigh she stood up, grabbing Natsu's hand with her own and placating him before the thought crossed his mind that she was making fun of him.

"Natsu-san... Why don't we try 'boyfriend and girlfriend'?" she stated simply, a smile on her face and the remnants of her laughter dancing in her eyes.

"'Boyfriend and girlfriend', huh? Never heard of it. Sounds good to me though!" His frustration was quickly forgotten, replaced with his trademark enthusiasm. "Wendy," he began, squeezing her hand with his own and meeting her eyes with a passionate gaze, "I'm going to be the best girl's-friend ever! You wait and see! I'm all fired up!"

_That_ had caught her off-guard, yet again. It was clear from the way he spoke that he was being completely serious and hadn't realized he had messed up the terminology. Wendy was ecstatic that her feelings were being answered so readily, but _girl's-friend_?

Just as she was about to open her mouth to correct him, he snaked his arms around her small waist and lifted her up, spinning her around in a playful hug that she quickly returned. The two Exceed watched happily as their two best friends embraced, their laughter echoing throughout Wendy's small bedroom.

When he let her down she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before he could stretch back to his full height, something that caused her to blush and smile shyly. On Natsu's end, the tender gesture brought a warm smile to his face. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders he pressed his nose into the top of her head and nuzzled affectionately before turning to address the two cats. "We've been gone for long enough, don't you guys think? We should get back and start the cleanup before the old man gets back from his trip! I think the rest of his hair is gonna fall out if he finds out about the roof I destroyed..."

"Aye sir! Do you think we can stop for lunch on the way there Natsu? All this talk of fish made me really hungry!"

"Happy, you know you're the only one who talked about fish today, right?"

"Aye, Carla. And now I'm starving because of it! It's a good thing we don't talk about fish all the time otherwise I would be one overweight cat..." He emphasized his point by patting his rumbling stomach and sighing miserably.

"Alright, alright, I got it Happy. We'll stop for lunch on the way. How does that sound Wendy?"

"Perfect."

She smiled as she took his hand and led the four of them out to the street. On the way there Wendy couldn't help but hum happily to herself. This was the first time she had been so happy in her life; secretly she thanked the stars for making her yell out her feelings that morning. Being surrounded by her friends who talked and joked jovially, and with feelings returned by Natsu, she could safely say that she was never happier than she was right at that moment.

Turning her head to look at Natsu, she studied him as he chatted excitedly with Happy. He must've felt her eyes on him as he broke away from the conversation momentarily, sending her an affectionate smile and squeezing her hand before turning away again to imitate the Master having a heart attack.

She rested her head on Natsu's arm as she returned to her thoughts. _Being a 'boy's-friend' will be lots of fun._ She let out a small giggle as they continued to walk. _I'm going to have to explain it to him soon, though._

* * *

"**NATSUUUU!" **A voice boomed from the entranceway of the guild as the foursome, bellies full from lunch, approached the guild hall. Natsu froze immediately. **"I LEAVE FOR TWO DAYS AND YOU COLLAPSE HALF THE ROOF! WHO DO YOU THINK HAS TO PAY FOR THIS YOU DAMNED BRAT!"**

At the sight of the giant, angry Makarov, Natsu could feel the cold sweat running down the back of his neck. He winked at Wendy before letting go of her hand and bravely stepping forward. He knew this was coming. In all honesty he deserved it. And as the irate Master dragged him away he spared his new boy's-friend a glance before being flung into the guild hall.

As he lay amongst the rubble that he would inevitably have to clean a wide grin graced his face. Looking up at the bright blue sky, one thought ran through his head: _It was definitely worth it._

* * *

**More Notes: **So, how was my first attempt? I have to say I'm proud of this fic, but I'm not 100% satisfied with how it turned out. There are a lot of small details that I wasn't too sure about but I figured I would throw this out there and see what kinds of reactions I get. On another note, I didn't realize how long it would actually take to write my thoughts down. When I ran through this story in my head I thought it would only take an hour or two to grind this out. Turns out it took a lot longer than I expected... This definitely upped the respect I have for people who write regularly; especially when it comes to those epic 20+ chapter stories with the plot planned out from the beginning.

Also, in case anyone is wondering, the titles of Erza's books were variations of the first two titles I saw when I googled "romance novels". Go figure.

Again, I'd really appreciate some reviews to tell me how I did. Praise and criticism especially are welcomed and encouraged.


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